Don't let FIRE do this to your store

By Donald Rung Vice President Co4>orate Field Services Lumber Insurance Companies

fN A TIME of fierce competition

Iand eroded profit margins, a lumber and building products retailer can not afford the disruption, sales loss, potential customer loss and uninsurable expenses ofa serious fre loss.

While fire potential .ut1'11qtally be eliminated, a consistent and aggressive prevention and conEol program can substantially decrease the likelihood of a devastating loss.

Preventive Measures

Smoking - While more businesses are implementing a "smoke free" policy, many still allow employees and/or customers to smoke on the premises. If you don't allow smoking, "no smoking" signs should be posted in both public and employee-

WmCameron &Co.

'Serving The lndustry Since 1868,,

..ADVANTAGE PROGRAMO'

Our popular Advantage Program for Door Units, Building Insulation, Residential Roofing, and other products selected by you has been designed exclusively to save your business time and increase your sales and profits.

only areas. Provide butt cans at points of customer entry. Management/supervisory personnel should remain vigilant and periodically inspect out-of-the-way places, where

Story at a Glance

How to avoid fire losses ... prevention and control measures that cut the odds.

employees might be tempted to sneak a cigarette.

If you do allow smoking, clearly identify and strictly enforce approved smoking areas and areas where smoking is not allowed. Provide appropri- ate containers for smoking material disposal in approved smoking areas and at entrances to no smoking areas.

Heating Systems - When cold weather arrives, the tendency is to automatically turn up the thermostat without making sure heating devices including suspended unit heaters have adequate clearance from combustible materials. Heating chimneys, chimney connectors and vents should be examined regulady to ensure they are in sound condition with adequate clearance from combustibles.

Electrical - Most elecrical fres in retail building material operations are attributable to temporary, inappropriate or damaged wiring. Extension

(Please turn to page 29)

Locations:

GUARAIITEED SALE OF PRODUCTS

PURCIIASED FROM USI

Our Territory Manager will save you time by inventorying our stock, switching out slow moving items, and keeping you up to date with the latest displays and promotional offers.

BOOST YOUR PRODUCT SALES AND ENCOURAGE YOUR CUSTOMERS TO RETURN TO A BUSINESS

TIIEY CAN COUNT ON. \fe will help you with do-it-yourself clinics, truckload sales, and by providing you an ample supply of literature and samples. We will acquaint your staff with the features and benefits of our product line.

MANAGE YOUR INVEIYTORY AI\ID INCREASE YOUR PROFITS. We will provide you with warehouse fill-ins to help you manage your inventory and increase your profits.

ALBUQTJERQUE

(8@) 771-7688

ATI]INTA

(404) 355-9219

AUSTIN

{512) 448-2385

BALTIMORE

(800) 277-4455

BOSTON

(800) 225-2803

CHARI,OTTE

Qo4) 392-8366

CIIICAGO Qog) 496-2510

CINCINNATI

(80o) 342-L802

DAIIIIS

(8@) 725-9535

DETROIT

(800) 544-1878

TORTWORTH @00) 299-0698

GI,.ENDAI.E

(80D) 729-7663

IIAruJNGEN

(8OO) 725-9599

TIAUPPAUGE

(616D 348-1700

HOIIIS (o18)74A4$8

HOUSTON

(800) 725-9644

INDIANAFOIIS

617) 784-5012

LT.]BBOCK (800D 725-962

MESA 602) 962-9146

ODESSA (9rr 335-5053

SAI\ANGELO (800) 725-9688

SANANTOMO (8@) 725-9766

SANTAFE (505) 988-8077

TUCSON (602) 523-2955

TYLER (800) 725-9566

VATERAI,JRY

(800) 966-0556

IVITITE RIVER JT.JNCIION (80o) 877-422t

F o xw orth - G alb r ait h, Dall as, Tx.. has remodeled 11 retail units following the protype design used at Mt. Pleasant, Tx., and renamed them Foxw o rth - G alb r aith B uil ding Project Centers

Madill Lumber. Madill. Ok., plans to change its name to Madill Lumber Do-it Center after a renovation is completed Homestead Lumber & Supply, Mena, Ar., is preparing to sell or liquidate with owner Reynolds Gardner planning to retire ... Ashdown Building Materials, Ashdown, Ar., has been acquired and reopened by Bobby Young, also the owner of DeQueen Building Materials, De Queen, Ar.

Hechinger plans to oPen four Mexico City stores, starting fall 1995, using a 90,000 sq. ft. format combining features of both their Home Project Centers and Home Decor stores

Causeway Lumber Co., Bonita Springs, Fl., remained open following a middle-of-the-night office and showroom fire which fire authorities traced to a wiring short ... Bob Gettelfinger has closed Mister Hardware Do-it Center, Clarksville, Ky., after 28 years; Edwardsville and Shelbyville, Ky., Mister Hardware locations owned by his brothers remain open

Lowe's Cos. converted its Mills B Lane Ave. store in Savannah, Ga., to a builder/contractor Yard and opened a third distribution center in North Vernon, In., to serve midwestern locations

Carolina Builders Corp. has closed its Rocky Mount, N.C., store, opening a new store in nearby Wilson, N.C., with mgr. Glen Blackwell transferring ... Thom.as

R. Hopson-Broker Inc. will move its Norcross, Ga., operations t0 a new contractor yard nearing com-

pletion in Lawrenceville, Ga. ...

Scotty's is close to completing expansion of its south Indian River County, Fl., store by 30,000 sq. ft.... Employees of Soutlt States 1nc., Shreveport, La.. purchased the company through an employee stock ownership plan Orgill Bros. will open a 400,000 sq. ft. warehouse in Tifton, Ga. O dell Hardv'are, Greensboro, N.C., plans to expand its warehouse...

sq. ft. warehouse and 117 acre concrete storage yard

MacMillan Bloedel plans to build MocMillan Guadiana near Durango, Mexico Willamette Industries' plywood plant, Dodson. La.. received JAS certification from tJae Japanese Ministry of Agriculure Norbord expects to complete expansion of its Tupelo, Ms., plant in 1995

Resinart East, Inc. is building a new 14,800 sq. ft. warehouse and office in Arden, N.C. Temtex Products, Nashville, Tn., a subsidiary of Temtex Industries, Inc., Dallas, Tx., changed its name to kmco Fireplace Products

S

- Cocst is closing two Fort Smith, Ar., facilities and moving into a 1M,000 sq. ft. site which they plan to expand by 93,000 sq. ft. in Sept. 1995 to accommodate Sp eer H ardware and other subsidiaries

Anniversaries: Vaughan & Sols, San Antonio, Tx,, 10lst Teague Lumber Co., Ft. Worth, Tx., 50th ... Lumberman's Wholesale Distributors, Inc., Nashville, Tn.,2-5th

The Coolition for Fair Lumber Imports filed a challenge to the constitutionality of the U.S.Canada Free Trade Agreement's dispute settlement system used to reverse previous findings on Canadian lumber subsidies

Alamo Forest Products, San Antonio, Tx., opened a distribution center in Abilene. Tx.. Lester Lackey, sales mgr. and Joe Poole, operations mgr. Timber Products Sales Co. is looking at the possibility of openin_e an El Paso. Tx.. reload center

Furman Lumber Co. opened a new distribution yard in Denton. N.C., Eddie Ayers, mgr. Building Products Plus Co. and American Pole & Timber will build a lumber kiln and pole handling facility on a leased South Houston, Tx., site with a 12,000

Vermont American Tool Co.. Lincolnton, N.C., has meshed marketin_q and sales with 7"/re Credo Co., Woodburn, Or. ... Stanlev Door Svstems is sponsoring a Spanish-speaking do-it-yourselftv program

Weyerhaeuser Co. donated 100.000 seedlings to residents of Oklahoma and Arkansas to celebrate 25 years of operation in the area and 501 acres in southwestern Arkansas to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Sen-ice for the 50lst U.S. natioial wildlife refuge

Porter Points, Louisville, Ky., installed a new color system and added an industrial products line Specialt,t' G/ass Products lsd., Vancouver, B.C., Canada, opened a production facility near Brunswick, Ga.

Caradon Better- Bilt, Smyrna, Tn., has acquired lzbanon Aluminum Products Co. (Le-AI-Co). Lebanon, Tn. ... Suntuf,Inc., has new corporate offices in Livingston, N.J. Alumax Aluminum Corp., Norcross, Ga., acquired a Union City, Ga., extrusions plant from General Extrusions, Inc. ...

Housing starts in Aug. (latest figs.) rose Z.lVc to an annualized rate of 1.442,0ffi units single family starts drop@ 2.7Vc ...multis with 2 to 4 units rose 3.lVc: those with 5 plus units, 33Vc building permits inched up lVc starts in the southern states climbed l4Vo.